


To us.

by Pandolphin



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Act 2 Spoilers, Gen, post Act 2 Arboria specifically, the focus here is my ted talk 'Erik and Serena Adopted Each Other', the hero's name is Nova, there's a waft of luminerik in the air because of course there is but its def not the focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-14 22:03:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20608061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandolphin/pseuds/Pandolphin
Summary: Serena wasn’t Mia by a long shot, but he still knew a thing or two about having a little sister.





	To us.

**Author's Note:**

> this was another prompt writing! the prompt was "birthday", and again, it escaped from me and became this. dragon quest fandom grab your found family trope--
> 
> the song that Serena was playing was Fake Wings by Yuki Kajiura (as heard on the .hack//SIGN soundtrack). fittingly enough, here's a literal harp cover of the song! : youtube.com/watch?v=1EpNuh6L1pQ

Jade’s birthday came without much fanfare. That was how she wanted it; even without the thought of Mordegon still looming over them all, high in his castle, Hendrik could confirm that she had never been one for the fancy parties of nobility, and despite Sylvando’s half-hearted cries for extravagance, the day passed by in quiet celebration.

Even so, Nova spent most of the day on the forge. It was far from the first time he’d made Jade or any of them something new to wear, but never anything quite so regal. “She’s always looking at dresses in town,” he’d told Erik, “but she never gets herself anything. I want her to have something nice.” He’d put out all the stops, and used every smithy trick he’d picked up to make his sister the raiment he felt she deserved. 

It was definitely a feeling Erik understood well, so he did his part by keeping Jade away until Nova’s work was done. And when Nova brought the dress out at the end of dinner that night, she was noticeably touched. Jade was stoic and unfazeable, to an even further degree than Nova was, but when she saw the effort he’d put in for her, there was no hiding the graceful, true to form princess smile on her lips. 

She wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, and pulled her brother into a grateful hug without a word.

It was a sweet moment, and a moment of relative peace they all needed–Erik could let himself feel that way, now that he knew Mia was safe and sound and waiting for him. Still, that didn’t keep him from flicking his gaze over to Serena every now and then, watching the shadows in the hull act as her mask.

~

_“–Shine, bright morning light–”_

Erik awoke to the sound of a harp.

Well, not “a” harp-–there was only one harp on the Stallion, and it was one that had woken him up before many times over the course of their adventure. Not that Serena played loudly, of course, he’d always just been prone to sleeping light. Especially so when things were on his mind.

_“–Keep your eyes on me, now we’re on the edge of Hell–”_

Judging from the melody coming from the deck, Serena must have had things on her mind as well.

Unsurprising, Erik thought, but he could take a good guess on what she was feeling. Any one of them could, probably. But circumstances given, Erik might have been the only one right now Serena could talk to, and have it truly mean something to her. Not that she had a bitter bone in her body-–Serena wasn’t like him-–but he knew Nova wasn’t blind to this sort of thing, and that if he hesitated to help another, it was for good cause.

Well. That was all fine with Erik. And that was the truth. Serena wasn’t Mia by a long shot, but he still knew a thing or two about having a little sister.

~

Dave had dropped anchor hours ago, so by logic, only Erik and Serena would be awake. Of course, Serena didn’t know he was awake yet, and more than likely wasn’t expecting any company so late in the night. In the long run, this would probably be for the best. One on one talks worked better when it really was one on one; Erik told himself he’d rope Nova into one again someday, but for right now, he had bigger fish to fry.

He opened the door to the deck open more loudly than probably necessary, but with two mugs of cocoa in his hands, Erik didn’t have much of a choice otherwise. It earned the result he’d wanted, though; no sooner had the first hinge began to creak had the harp stopped playing. He thought he heard Serena squeak.

Erik stepped out into view; Serena stared back at him with wide eyes, clutching her harp almost like she’d been caught doing something wrong. He almost frowned at the sight, but managed to will it away. This was going to be a good talk, damn it.

“Hey,” he raised one mug up in offering, “Thought you might be thirsty.”

She wasn’t flustered, no, but surprise had taken Serena miles away it seemed. After a brief moment, she seemed to snap back to reality, and nodded. “I… yes. Thank you, Erik.”

He took that as his invitation, and made his way up the stairs. Serena had scooted to her left to make space for him on the step, and Erik handed her one mug before sitting down beside her. 

“Sorry it’s not cake. Should be more than enough marshmallows in there to get a feel for it, though.”

Serena laughed her quiet little laugh. “You know me so well.”

“I’m attentive. Part of the job description.” He waited for her to drink, before going on, “New song you’re working on?”

She breathed in, deeper than normal, like a gasp nearly escaped her, but Serena let that breath go as a sigh, and bowed her head with a hum. There wasn’t much point in keeping secrets from him now–-and to tell the truth, Erik had never really been able to keep secrets from Serena, either. They had an understanding.

“Mm… not quite. Just… thinking.” She glanced back up at him with a bashful smile. “I do apologize, if I woke you.”

Erik waved it off without a thought. “Hey, don’t sweat it. I could think of a lot worse things to wake up to.” He gestured forward with his mug. “Cocoa for your thoughts?”

She frowned. “You probably already know what’s on my mind.”

“Probably,” he admitted, “but that’s not the same as you talking about it.”

The look Serena gave him at that was curious at best, and dumbfounded at the worst, and Erik’s only response was a single, silent nod. He was asking _her_, he wanted her to know, he was putting the direction of this conversation into _her_ hands. 

It was a simple thing, the power of agency. But it could make all the difference in moments so delicate.

Serena stared at him a moment longer, but then she smiled, and it took a great deal of self-restraint on Erik’s part not to sigh in relief. “Ah, no. I suppose it’s not the same, is it?”

She took another sip of cocoa–-downing two marshmallows whole, Erik noted, because he counted how many he put in–-before turning her gaze away from him to look forward instead.

“I was just thinking… birthdays are going to be a bit lonely now, aren’t they?”

Serena spoke with a solemn acceptance of the situation. And Erik knew it was acceptance, because if it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be looking at her with cut hair now. But he didn’t say a word, and let her speak to her heart’s content.

“It’s a silly sort of thing to think about now, I know… and it’s certainly not fair to Jade for me to be so glum. It’s hardly something any of us can control.” She sighed, and rested her chin in her hand. “Still… I hadn’t been giving much thought to life after… after we’ve won.”

An ocean’s breeze passed them by, and Serena reached for her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “…you know, I talked a great deal about this to Nova, back then. I said I was going to stand on my own, and see this all through, and live my life to the fullest. For Veronica. And I am, and I knew it would be hard when I said it–-but I don’t think it really struck me how _different_ the little things are going to be. Birthdays, or holidays, or even being sick… I never once thought about doing any of that alone.”

She turned back to look at him. “Have you thought about it, Erik? What you’re going to do, afterwards?”

He nodded. “Sort of. I always told Mia we’d go out and see the world one day. When she’s up and ready for it, I think a proper treasure hunt’s in order.”

“Really?” Serena smiled behind her hand. “That’s sweet. If a little surprising-–I always thought you were going to stay with Nova.”

“No one’s saying I can’t do both. It’s a plan in progress” His cheeks turned the faintest bit pink, and he could tell this, because Serena laughed at him, and he gave her one firm pat on the back. There wasn’t any point in getting too embarrassed about it. He couldn’t keep a secret from Serena. “But, I’m not the one we need to worry about right now… is that what you’ve been up to out here? Thinking about the future?”

“Something like that, yes.” The far off look in her eyes returned as she thought. “Before everything, I wanted to open a cake shop in Arboria-–I’m not sure I could call it a dream, exactly, but it was always such a happy thought, it made me excited to grow up. But, Veronica… we both excelled in one kind of magic rather than both, you see. She wanted to teach her magic to others. And now that I have her magic with me… I couldn’t help but wonder, if I would be wasting it, if I didn’t use it?”

Serena held out her hand, and snapped her fingers; the tip of her pointer finger sparked a flame, and she let it burn a moment before snapping it away once again. 

“It was her last gift to me. And… I didn’t want it, but I’m glad she gave it to me. So I don’t think I can just run away from it when we’re done. I have to use it as best I can. For her sake.”

“Hey, Serena?”

When she looked back up at him, Erik raised his mug, and knocked her softly on the forehead with the rim. _“No.”_

“Wh-–hey!” Serena rubbed at her head with a pout. If there was any doubt that she and Veronica had been related, that face she made squashed it to pieces. “I’m being serious, Erik!”

“Yeah? Well, so am I.” He raised a brow. “Trust me–-I know a thing or two about running away, and you’re not running from anything.”

Erik paused, to take a swig, before continuing. “Living for another person doesn’t mean you have to literally live their life for them. I mean, hell, look at Jade. She’d been living every day for Nova all her life, and she’s still her own person. Veronica wouldn’t want you to hold yourself back on her account.”

He placed a firm hand on Serena’s shoulder. “If you want to open that cake shop? Open that cake shop. If you want to play music with Sylvando in the circus, or help Nova and Jade rebuild their homes, or–-hey, if you wanted to come look for treasure, too, I don’t think Mia would mind. Long as she gets the biggest cut, but–-gah, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

“My point is, Veronica left you her magic because she knew you’d put it to good use, no matter what you did. There’s nothing you could do that would disappoint her. She believes in you–-we all believe in you.”

Serena stared at him with wide eyes as he spoke. 

“…look. You’re going to feel alone for a while. You’re going to feel that way, and it’s going to seem like you’ll feel that way forever. I know what that’s like. But I also know it doesn’t last forever. One day… believe it or not, you’re gonna laugh at a joke. You’re going to eat a cake, and it’s going to make you feel happy. You’re gonna get there, Serena. I don’t know how, but I swear, you’re gonna get there. And we’re going to be right behind you when it happens.”

Erik’s hand slid off her shoulder in the silence that followed. “You’re never as alone as it seems. Takes a while to learn that, I know. But. It’s the truth.”

Serena’s eyes wavered; it was hard for Erik to get a grasp on her emotions in the beginning, with her expressions always cheery and carefree. Tragedy had left her more vulnerable, more readable, and in ways, more alive. She wasn’t going to cry–no tears until this was all over, she’d said–but the softness in her eyes told Erik that he’d gotten through to her.

She laughed, and it sounded like her harp, airy and light.

“Goodness me, Erik. When did you get so smart?”

“Hey!” He tried to sound offended, but he was laughing right along with her. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve always been smart!”

“I carry Veronica’s magic and will in me,” and here, Serena winked at him, “I’m rude now.”

“You brat.” Erik bumped against her shoulder playfully, and she bumped right back–much harder than he was expecting, at that. Serena was a younger sister, but it seemed like he forgot that she wasn’t as young as Mia. “Glad you’re feeling better, though.”

“Mmhm… thank you, Erik. Really. Birthdays might still be lonely from here on… but I know you’re all looking out for me. Celebrating for two won’t be so dreadful, when you have good company.”

“As good a plan as any.” Erik agreed, but it wasn’t without a twinge of rue. Birthdays had been the whole reason for Serena’s sadness, and while he could ease her pain on much of her worries, he couldn’t really change that. It had been easier for him not to think of Mia’s birthday, there were plenty of distractions in the world, but for a twin, there wasn’t much of an escape, save of just throwing out the whole day. 

“I’d give you mine, if I could.”

“Huh?” Serena looked at him, curiously, and it was at this moment Erik realized he’d said that out loud. “‘Give me your’…?”

“Oh–-my birthday.” He shrugged. “Until you could celebrate yours without feeling off about it, I mean. You still have to have the day, right? And it’s not like I’ve been using it much.” Pause, take a drink. “But, I don’t know what the day is, so I suppose that idea’s out the window.”

“Hmm… I wonder.”

Serena had pulled her legs to her chest, and was resting her chin on her knees; her brows were furrowed in deep concentration. Erik looked at her with a raised brow of his own. “Hey, don’t hurt yourself, now. It was just a random-–”

“No, that’s it!” She jumped up in her seat, her eyes alight with excitement, and Erik near recoiled back from surprise. Serena smiled at him like she smiled at the finest sweets Gondolia had to offer.

“Erik, let me give you _mine_.”

He blinked. “…come again?”

“My birthday.” Serena repeated, still pleased as punch with the idea. “You and I–-we can share it. And it’s not to take it away from Veronica, never. It will always be our day. But…” 

She reached for his free hand, and took it in her own. “If I’m able to share the day I was born with my good friend Erik, then I won’t feel so lonely about it at all. Because I know he’s looking out for me, just as much as Veronica is.”

Erik gaped, and she released his hand. It hung there in the air for a moment, before he pulled it into his hair, rubbing at the back of his neck. It was suddenly very hard to look at Serena now, but he definitely caught wind of the titter she held back watching him fall bashful.

“…I mean,” He started, his hand falling to his lap, his smile sheepish, “if you think that’ll help?”

“It will.” And Serena sounded so sure of herself, more sure than she had this whole talk, that Erik could not think of a reason not to. And she said once more, “Celebrating for two won’t be so dreadful, when you have good company.”

“I… well. Alright, then.” He did his best to play it cool, but even Erik doubted he pulled it off on this one. It didn’t really matter this time, though. “I guess we’re sharing a birthday, now.”

Serena clapped against her mug, delighted. It truly was a miraculous turnabout on her mood. Erik hadn’t expected the talk to go as smoothly as it did. “Wonderful! It’ll be a fun day, you’ll see. And–-oh! You’ll have to tell me your favorite dessert.” 

“And why, pray, do I have to do that?”

“It’s an old wives’ tale, in Arboria, that your family makes you your favorite sweet for good luck for the rest of your year. Veronica would always have her brownies with cayenne, and I would get my lemon meringue cake. So, if I’m going to be celebrating with my brother now, I need to know what to make him.”

There was much about the last bit of that sentence he needed to react to, but Serena didn’t give him the chance. Before Erik could even get out the _“Buh–”_ in _“Brother?”_, she grinned at him–and rather deviously so when she added, “I want to make sure I get it right. He’s a _rather fussy_ eater, you know.”

Erik was still touched, and perhaps still outwardly so, but that didn’t stop the way he sputtered. He wouldn’t go so far as to call Serena rude, even if she’d made the joke, but she’d certainly become sassier. Or maybe, she’d always been like that, and was just now letting it show. 

Either way, this slander would not slide, even if it was true, and even if he was laughing about it. “Oh, you just let me polish this thing off,” he raised his mug with a shake of the head, “I’ll show _you_ ‘fussy’.”

Serena giggled again behind her hand, unthreatened and dainty, and before Erik brought his mug to his lips for a chug, she raised her mug alongside his.

“From here on out,” She declared. “Happy birthday to us.”

Not a typical toast for a number of reasons, Erik thought: not using alcohol was supposed to be bad luck, he’d heard, and furthermore, it wasn’t even the birthday in question, so doing this now seemed silly. Still, no one in this ragtag group had ever been one for traditions or norms, and fortune found them as it did–and this moment was one such fortune. Everyday, he added more and more memories to his heart, each one more precious than gold, and Serena, cheering him on for the rest of their years was another one for the books.

Erik knocked his mug against hers. “Happy birthday to us.”

Serena beamed, and pulled her mug away to drink–but not before letting out a rousing cry of, _“Skull!”_

She’d only barely raised the mug to her lips when she stopped, deterred by Erik’s rowdy laughter. “Ah–-what? Erik, what is it?”

“_‘Skull’?_” He gasped between laughs. “Do you mean _‘skol’?_”

Confusion fell away from Serena’s face, and in its place was a blank expression of dawning realization. “…Is–is that how you say that?”

“_Yes!_” Erik cried, slapping at his knee. “Why would you toast with a _skull?_”

“I–I don’t know! To be imposing?” She pouted, cheeks red, and smacked him on the arm. “How could I have known? I’m not from Sniflheim-–don’t you laugh at me, Erik!”

Erik managed to wind his laughter down to snickers-–funny as it had been, he wasn’t about to embarrass Serena further by risking anyone else waking up on them–and when Serena turned away from him with a loud _“Hmmph!”_, he swung an arm over her shoulders in a tight, half-hug.

“Sorry, Serena,” he said with a grin, “but if I can’t make fun of my sister, who _can_ I make fun of?”

**Author's Note:**

> Erik: [picks up Serena and brings her to Mia] Our Sister Now
> 
> my dq tumblr is swindlersstole and I'm here to spread the word of the Erik&Serena Moirallegiance


End file.
